Raleigh is the nation's third fastest-growing big city, data shows

The Triangle’s population boom continues. The latest Census data shows continued growth in southern cities. Between 2022 and 2023, Raleigh's population increased by 1.9%, making it the third fastest-growing big city.

WRAL data trackers analyzed the information, comparing growth among cities with populations of 250,000 or more. Among those cities, Raleigh only sits behind Atlanta, GA and Fort Worth, TX.

Charlotte lands on the list too. With its population increasing by 1.7%, it is ranked fifth.

As a state, the population went up by more than 140,000 people or about 1.3%. Looking at all North Carolina locations reveals how hot the Triangle towns and cities are. They make up six of the 10 fastest growing locations in the state. Fuquay-Varina tops the list – the population increased by 7.8 percent in just one year. Garner, Wake Forest, Knightdale, Mebane and Clayton are the other local spots in the top 10 – all having growth well-above the state’s.

Census data out shows almost 20,000 people have moved to Wake County in the last year. That's about 53 people every day. Johnston County's population increased by more than 7,000 people and Durham's grew by 3600.